Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics — John Dewey
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics Author : John Dewey Release date : October 4, 2019 [eBook #60422] Most recently updated: October 17, 2024 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60422 Credits : Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF A list of other corrections can be found at the end of the document . The Table of Contents is left as in the original and does not list all of the subsections. Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics. For we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free. E pur se muove. OUTLINES OF A CRITICAL THEORY OF ETHICS BY JOHN DEWEY Professor of Philosophy in the University of Michigan ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN REGISTER PUBLISHING COMPANY The Inland Press 1891. Copyright, 1891. Register Publishing Co. , Ann Arbor, Mich. CONTENTS. Introduction 1-12 PART I.—FUNDAMENTAL ETHICAL NOTIONS. Chapter I. — The Good 13-138 Hedonism 14 Utilitarianism 52 Evolutionary Utilitarianism 67 Kantianism 78 Problem and Solution 95 Realization of Individuality 97 Ethical Postulate 127 Chapter II. — The Idea of Obligation 139-158 Bain's Theory 140 Spencer's Theory 142 Kant's Theory 147 Its Real Nature 152 Chapter III. — The Idea of Freedom 158-166 Negative Freedom 158 Potential Freedom 159 Positive Freedom 164 PART II.—THE ETHICAL WORLD. Social Relations 167 Moral Institutions 169 PART III.—THE MORAL LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL. Division of Subject 181 Chapter I. — The Formation and Growth of Ideals 182-211 Conscience 182 Conscientiousness 199 Development of Ideals 206 Chapter II. — The Moral Struggle or the Realizing of Ideals 211-227 Goodness as Struggle 211 Badness 214 Goodness and Badness 221 Chapter III. — Realized Morality or the Virtues 227-233 Cardinal Virtues 231 Conclusion 233-238 PREFACE. Although the following pages have taken shape in connection with class-room work, they are intended as an independent contribution to ethical science. It is commonly demanded of such a work that its readers shall have some prefatory hint of its sources and deviations. In accordance with this custom, I may state that for the backbone of the theory here presented—the conception of the will as the expression of ideas, and of social ideas; the notion of an objective ethical world realized in institutions which afford moral ideals, theatre and impetus to the individual; the notion of the moral life as growth in freedom, as the individual finds and conforms to the law of his social placing—for this backbone I am especially indebted to Green's 'Prolegomena to Ethics', to Mr. Bradley's 'Ethical Studies', to Professor Caird's 'Social Philosophy of Comte' and 'Critical Philosophy of Kant' (to this latter book in particular my indebtedness is fundamental), and to Alexander's 'Moral Order and Progress'. Although I have not been able to adopt the stand-point or the method of Mr. Spencer, or of Mr. Leslie Stephen my obligation to the 'Data of Ethics' and to the 'Science of Ethics' (especially to the latter) is large. As to the specific forms which give a flesh and blood of its own to this backbone, I may call attention to the idea of desire as the ideal activity in contrast with actual possession; to the analysis of individuality into function including capacity and environment; to the treatment of the social bearings of science and art (a point concerning which I am indebted to my friend, Mr. Franklin Ford); to the statement of an ethical postulate; to the accounts of obligation, of moral rules, and of moral badness. While the book is an analysis, in outline, of the main elements of the theory of ethics rather than a discussion of all possible detailed questions, it will not be found the less fitted, I hope, to give a student an idea of the main methods and problems of contemporary ethics. Other teachers, indeed, may agree that a general outline is better than a blanket-mortgage spread over and forestalling all the activity of the student's mind. I have not been unmindful of the advisability of avoiding in presentation both undue polemic, and undue dogmatism without sufficient reference to the statements of others. I hope the method hit upon, of comparing opposite one-sided views with the aim of discovering a theory apparently more adequate, will help keep the balance. I have quoted freely from the chief modern authorities, hoping that the tastes here given will tempt the reader to the banquet waiting in the authors themselves. The occasional references introduced are not bibliographical, nor intended as exhaustive statements of authorities consulted; they are meant as aids to an intelligent reading on the part of the general student. For this reason they are confined mainly to modern English writings. INTRODUCTION. I. Definition of Ethics. The term ethics is derived from a Greek word meaning manners, customs, habits, just as the term morals is derived from a Latin word with a similar meaning. This suggests the character of the science as an account of human action. Anthropology, ethnology, psychology, are also, in their way, accounts of human action. But these latter branches of knowledge simply describe , while the business of ethics is to judge . This does not mean that it belongs to ethics to prescribe what man ought to do; but that its business is to detect the element of obligation in conduct, to examine conduct to see what gives it its worth . Anthropology, etc., do not take into account the whole of action, but simply some of its aspects—either external or internal. Ethics deals with conduct in its entirety, with refe